Finding Tonya: Woman last seen in Minnesota state park still missing

MCGREGOR, Minn. (FOX 9) - It’s been seven months since 23-year-old Tonya Yarmakov was last seen with her family at a cabin in Savanna Portage State Park. Her family says she ran away from the dock at the property they were renting and hasn’t been seen since. 

When Tonya went missing

The backstory:

On Sept. 4, 2024, Tonya Yarmakov and her family, including her mother Michelle, father Rinat and brother Timur were renting a cabin in the Savanna Portage State Park, something the family often did together. 

Tonya has type 1 diabetes and autism, two things that had a big impact on her day-to-day life. 

"She had lots of challenges, every day," Michelle said.

One thing that came easily to Tonya was spending time in nature. The Yarmakovs live in Dundas, Minnesota, and through the years, they’ve visited every state park in Minnesota and have even traveled to some national parks. 

"She loved traveling, she loved going to the state park, she loved planning the trips," Michelle said.

The Yarmakovs had already been at their rented cabin on Savanna Lake for two days when they decided to take the small rowboat on the property onto the water. Tonya told her family she didn’t want to get on the boat that day and asked to stay behind. 

"She’s 23 (years old)," Michelle said. "We said ‘OK,’ but we also said ‘this is a family activity, so come down and sit on the dock with us.’"

The moment she disappeared:

The family says they were floating on the rowboat near shore, keeping a close eye on Tonya. She was sitting on the dock, rocking in her favorite chair. The Yarmakovs took a picture of her in that spot that day. They say that’s where Tonya was sitting when they saw her stand up and start looking over her shoulder. 

"She looked twice over her shoulder in the same direction. Then she even got up out of her chair and looked in that same direction and sat back down so again," Michelle said. 

The family says they watched as Tonya stood up again, and this time, ran in the direction of the cabin. 

"She got up and ran. No one’s seen her since," Michelle said. 

The search for Tonya Yarmakov

What we know:

The Yarmakovs say once they saw Tonya run, they quickly rowed back to shore and started looking for her. They say since they were not far from the dock, they believe it took them only minutes to row back to shore.

They searched in and around the cabin. Then, got into the two vehicles they brought on the trip and drove down the few roads taking visitors through the park. With no sign of Tonya, they called the police for help. 

Investigators with the Aikin County Sheriff’s Office kicked off their search knowing they had to act quickly, especially considering the challenges Tonya faced with diabetes and autism. 

Aitkin County Sheriff Dan Guida says he called in their search and rescue team, which included personnel from surrounding departments. 

"We had drones in the air, we had boats on the water, we had people searching the woods. We also had dogs, human searching dogs," Sheriff Guida said. "We put quite a bit of energy into the water. We had St. Louis County search and rescue team with underwater cameras." 

In the hours and days that passed, there was still no sign of Tonya. 

"It was like she vanished," her mom said. 

Sheriff Guida says the search for Tonya included investigating people who were in the park that day. Savanna Portage State Park has one drivable entrance monitored by a camera. He says in the weeks after Tonya went missing, investigators followed up on people who were around the day she went missing. 

"We were able to connect with everyone who was here, and we don’t have any reason to believe this is anything other than a missing person," Sheriff Guida said. 

What's next:

The search of the vast 16,000-acre park and surrounding area has continued since Tonya’s disappearance. Sheriff Guida’s team keeps track of where their team has walked the ground and where they’ve searched with drones. He says with the spring making the forest more accessible again, they’ll continue their search. 

"Before things green up, we’re spending a lot of time in the woods," Sheriff Guida said. 

Still no answers

What they're saying:

The Yarmakovs say people still ask about Tonya and share memories of her infectious smile and chatty personality. 

"I was at the library and someone said to me ‘I miss Tonya’s smile’ and of course, I started crying, but I want them to talk about her," Michelle said. 

As they deal with the grief of not knowing what happened to her, they say they relive the last time they saw her over and over again. 

"It’s been a living nightmare," Michelle said. 

They say they can’t understand why Tonya would have run off from the family. She was an experienced park visitor and knew she couldn’t be away from her parents for long because they managed her diabetes. 

"She knew she had diabetes. She knew she needed insulin. She knew her blood sugar could go low and that that was very dangerous," Michelle said. 

The family was also planning to go into town that day and get a treat. Tonya had been looking forward to it all day, another reason they can’t understand why she would get up and leave. 

"Tonya knows the park, and she’s not supposed to be gone like that," Tonya's mom said. 

What you can do:

In the seven months since Tonya’s been gone, her family has been desperate for answers. With the help of a group of volunteers, they’ve created the website FindTonyaNow.com for people to contact the family with any information. 

"We need people to come forward if they have information. We need help. We need answers. We need to find her and bring her home. Please," Michelle said. 

This month, her family and supporters installed a plaque next to a tree planted in her honor at Swale Park in Northfield. They’ve also made donations to the Northfield Public Library to get sensory-friendly items in Tonya’s honor. 

"People who try to help us, we appreciate that. I know we’re not alone," Tonya’s father said. 

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